The Louisiana Attorney General, Liz Murrill, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of intimidation and malfeasance. The 16-count indictment accuses Murrill of threatening local officials with removal from office if they proceeded with actions she believed violated state law.
The indictment stems from a months-long dispute between state leaders and New Orleans officials over the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk's office. Prosecutors allege that Murrill's warnings, which were based on Louisiana's "usurper" laws, formed the basis of the criminal charges against her.
Assistant District Attorney Laurie White said that she expects the case to be "very simple" and "very open and shut." The indictment was unsealed on Thursday, and bond for Murrill was set at $400,000.
Murrill has responded to the indictment, calling it "retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional." She has stated that she will appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court and continue enforcing the law.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has defended Murrill, saying that he will pardon her "as fast as the law allows." He has also called for an investigation into the grand jury proceedings, stating that he believes the criminal justice system in Orleans is a "circus at its finest."
The dispute over the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk's office has been ongoing for months. At issue is a Republican-backed overhaul that eliminated the elected position and transferred its duties to the parish's civil court clerk.
New Orleans officials had sought to install Calvin Duncan, a man who spent nearly three decades in prison before his conviction was overturned, in the office. Murrill warned that they could face removal under Louisiana's "usurper" laws if they proceeded with their actions.
